Massive win for Liverpool

Liverpool were very different yesterday. To watch the team be so disciplined, to ease off the throttle and to sit back and actually control a game was something I’ve not seen since Benitez was in charge.

It was weird because Liverpool rarely win by the odd goal nowadays, probably because we don’t have the personnel capable of seeing a game out 1-0 but today we seemed to have them pretty well under control.

Karius

is growing on me. I like the speed of his distribution, something that has always frustrated me since Mignolet replaced Reina.

Does anyone remember how Reina was so good at making counter attacks that he would get fouled when he claimed crosses and got his head up.

I don’t mind that he made a slightly careless throw at one point and perhaps could’ve punched better. His intention is to be aggressive which I think is better than the weak and passive Mignolet.

That said, I wonder if Karius looks more assured having VVD in front of him.

Today the boos were ringing round St Mary’s and the TV showed him smiling to himself, he was thriving in a potentially difficult environment and just continued to make good decisions at every stage.

The same can’t be said of Matip today who veered between looking calm and crazy at various stages.

I think on Wednesday he’ll persist with AOC, despite the fact he was quite poor today in the middle. He gives us so much dynamism and we’ll need to battle hard to get something against Porto. Can is suspended so I suspect that’s why Henderson was rested today.

AOC does need to learn to stop switching off once play passes him.

He doesn’t drop in the way Firmino and Mane do. He left TAA on his own far too often today which is why Southampton threatened so much down that wing.

This was a huge result given that Man Utd lost and opens up the battle for positions from 2nd to 5th enormously.